A Manhattan federal judge recently named to the bench by President Obama was tapped on Friday to oversee the controversial cases alleging the NYPD’s use of stop and frisk is unconstitutional.

Analisa Torres – who is no stranger to making harsh comments about stop-and-frisk tactics by cops — was assigned to the cases a day after an appeals panel booted Judge Shira Scheindlin off them after questioning Scheindlin’s impartiality and determining she “ran afoul” of judicial ethics while overseeing a non-jury trial over the NYPD’s use of the tactic.

The 53-year-old, third-generation judge from Harlem was nominated by Obama for the Manhattan federal court judgeship last November, and the Senate confirmed the appointment in April.

“Her breath of knowledge, fair-mindedness and deep commitment to public service make [her] ideal to serve on the federal bench,” said US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), who recommended Torres to Obama, following the appointment confirmation.

Torres comes from a long line of legal eagles. Her father, Frank Torres, was a longtime Bronx Supreme Court judge; and her late grandfather, Felipe, was a longtime Family Court justice and South Bronx Democratic assemblyman.

She has previously been critical of the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk policing tactics – particularly at the city’s public housing projects.

In a 2010 legal opinion, Torres ripped the NYPD for allegedly circumventing New York City Housing Authority rules to wrongfully perform hundreds of stop and frisks.

She barred the admission of 29 ziplock bags of cocaine that the police seized from Jose Ventura in the lobby of the Baruch Houses on the Lower East Side after determining the method used by cops to stop Ventura exploited NYCHA rules barring people from being in city housing projects unless they live there or are visiting a resident.

“If a person is merely standing in the lobby of a housing project building and there is no evidence of prior criminality at that location, are the police permitted to approach and question that individual for the purpose of determining whether he or she lives there?,” she wrote. “I hold that they are not.”

Torres earned her way up the judicial ranks, graduating magna cum laude from Harvard and then Columbia Law School.

Shira Scheindlin leaving her home this morning.

After clerking for the late Supreme Court Judge Elliot Wilk from 1992 to 1999, Torres became a Manhattan criminal court judge in 2000. She was appointed an acting Manhattan Supreme Court judge in 2004 before being elected to the court in 2010, overseeing criminal cases there until this year.

The US Second Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday found Scheindlin violated the Code of Conduct for United States judges by failing to “avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all activities” and by failing to disqualify herself “in a proceeding in which the judge’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned.”

The panel also granted the city a stay to delay the implementation of Scheindlin’s August ruling — which found stop and frisk to be unconstitutional and called for a federal monitor overseeing the NYPD and for cops to wear body cameras on patrol as part of a pilot program.

The city is currently appealing the ruling, so it’s unclear what role Torres will play in the case until the panel decides on the appeal early next year.

Torres, who did not immediately respond to requests for comment, was randomly selected to take the cases – but she wasn’t the first to draw the short straw.

Manhattan federal Judge John Koeltl was initially selected to replace Scheindlin but declined.

Any person with common sense and logic, knows that stopping innocent people, is not going to fight crime. That is why in early 2013, KKKelly asked the NYPD to slow down with stop and frisks. Yet the crime rate continues to drop. Simply because, if cops focus stop and frisk on criminals, suspects and suspicious people, they find more weapons, write more suumonses and arrest more...yup, criminals. It's not rocket science. Since KKKelly refuses to police the NYPD, it's up to an IG. Since KKKelly refuses to hold his officers responsible for their conduct, uniform cameras are necessary. With cameras, like in the recent FL case, we will know right away whether a NYPD shooting is justified. We will know right away if someone is lying about police abuse, racism or criminality, BECAUSE IT WILL BE ON FILM. No more millions of dollars paid to liars. No more criminal cops operating with impunity. Best of all...NO MORE RACIST NYPD COMMISSIONER KKKELLY!!!!

I'd like to see these same idiots holding the banners followed or become victimized from one of these innocent people. Hey idiots go tell them that you are on their side and you hate the cops like the same hippy liberal that got his face carved up in Brooklyn just recently. Just think protests are during the day time how come these individuals aren't at school or work? my dad and mom pointed it out. I know two of my moms coworkers who were dc37 took off and lied to the manager and went to this protest. They got them selves arrested, and terminated from there jobs. I guess a protest was more valuable than their jobs pension, and benefits.

I read the NYS CPL its called the temporary questioning of people in a public place. The police any agency no special rules for the NYPD this applies to cops the can stop and question a person in a public place if they had have or is bout to commit a misdemeanor or felony in the state of NY, They may frisk in fear of their safety. If I was policeman in East New York where I live I would not second guess any especially if they are lingering in a hallway. My cousin lives in the projects, and always you see 10-12 guys in the lobby at 2 am. for what reason?

(1) “If a person is merely standing in the lobby of a housing project
building and there is no evidence of prior criminality at that location,
are the police permitted to approach and question that individual for
the purpose of determining whether he or she lives there?,” she wrote.
“I hold that they are not.”

so the rules grant this authority; NYPD is the poor man's doorman, as it were, and by law NYCHA serves the poor, and by disparate impact disproportionately serves Persons Of Color (POC) ; and this 3rd-gen community-minded judge has barred poor people from police protection inside their own homes, b/c she thinks the existing rules are exploitative ??!! b/c there is no prior criminality in those locations ( i expect she has a very broad category of no prior criminality) Way to go? Kristen Gillibrand sleep easy in rich people's door-man-land

this judge has also ruled against NYPD vertical patrols in other private properties as requested by those landlords, and would probably rule against private gun ownership as well, while dismissing low-cause (random) illegal-gun gun-confiscation

i have not seen NYCHA now-prisoners-in-their-own-homes complaining of police protection inside their hallways and lobbies

- - -

(2)Torres earned her way up the judicial ranks, graduating magna cum laude from Harvard and then Columbia Law School.

this is the same environment from which judge scheindlin chose her NYPD monitors, all academic professors with probably not six hours total of police experience as a law enforcement professional or even ride-along

- -

(3) NYCHA is famous for not doing maintenance in its apartments, were it a private landlord it would be every days NYC's Worst landlord, and our own mayor mike is an enabler, and vast monies assigned for maintenance, and camera security, have not been spent, and NYCHA lost a $20k no-hot-water (two years) case and NYC is appealing

(4) the real bantustans, - is there a secret advantage, and to whom, to keep poor persons of color in crime-infested and no-maintenance housing?

A random assignment to a judge who declines the case, and then another "random" assignment to a judge who is on record as hostile to the NYPD and stop and frisk policies. This smells as bad as Scheindlin.

so NYCHA, which can't provide hot water but has enough lawyers to defend that it does not provide hot water, is now as landlord not able to require that people on its premises are either residents or visitors, per this federfal judge of an obama appointment

aqns this judge thinks the requirement of grounds for being on property, is exploitative

It will become wonderful again. My building is reverting back to what it once was. Now that these cops are only doing what is required of them showing up to work and responding to calls only. It has only done one thing for me and my family these slimily politicians, and this judge who lives in a wonderful neighborhood accomplished. The cops are going to be high paid statues, I don't blame them. My hallway smells of urine again the prostitutes are trying to bring the johns back on to the rooftop of my building. They are peddling drugs in front of my house, and they are laughing about the recent court hearings. Thank u judge thank u Jumanje Williams, and finally Mr. Debalsio thanks again.

@Think4Yourself What happens now when the show the face of our community its bad enough that we are prejudged. That's why the show cops were asked not to film in NYC anymore. The NYPD does have cameras in their cars don't let them fool you they do . My neighbor who use to be a CO got pulled over and acted like a fool while the camera was rolling. His fate he lost his job. Acting like a fool what do we tell our community when these cameras become evidence in courtrooms. You give me the textbook answer. You think a jury of our peers will then still side with us please. Let them put these cameras, maybe more fools will go to jail.

@not bonita bondera moron, innocent people don't victimize anyone. If the NYPD has stopped 90% criminals, suspects or suspicious people, instead of bonafide INNOCENT people, well, then there wouldn't be a federal court case, would ther? So, after the ruling, KKKelly ordered his NYPD to ease up on stop and frisk. Yet the crime rate continues to drop, even with less stopping and frisking innocent people. Amazing how that works, huh? Focus criminal policing procedures...ON CRIMINALS, instead of us innocent residents. If these cops would start treating VICTIMS and BYSTANDERS as well as they treat each other, then folks will start trusting the NYPD.

@nebulae I bet you anything that if we were to linger on the pavement in front of her home she would have her lackeys to call 911 right away. If the cops don't get there fast enough she would have them say we were armed to prioritize her request to get us away from the building

@jack morpher The problem is in new York city housing. These tenants want the apartments piping hot. My cousin work for housing, and they want the apartments at a comfortable 95 degrees. He went up to one of the apartments with a meter that measure the temperature, and the apartment was 78 degrees. I guess running the boilers to the pointy that they will melt is gratifying to the tenants.

@Cis Sundstrand So, you think stopping mostly innocent people is a good police procedure? Since the lawsuit, in early 2013, KKKelly had the NYPD conduct FAR LESS stop and frisks...focusing on suspects, criminals and suspicious people, instead of skin color. And the crime rate continues to DROP. GUess it makes more sense using police procedures on criminals, than on innocents, huh?

@not bonita bondera stop peeing in your hallway, and the urine smell will stop as well. I notice you are not calling the cops reporting these dealers and prostitutes, huh? Guess you don't wanna turn in your family members.

@Jj Mcgraw Well...any Judge with knowledge of the constitution, case law, and logic, will see that stopping and frisking 90% innocent people, is kinda against the law and unconstitutional. Doesn't matter if they are democrap or repukelican...common sense dictates that police procedures are utilized MOSTLY on criminals, suspects and suspicious people. It's not rocket science. Unifrom cameras will protect the innocent and the NYPD far more than protecting criminals.

@Think4Yourself@not bonita bondera Pity my friend that's why white new Yorkers look down on people like ourselves . The truth hurts. It really does. When the truth is spoken it makes you mad. doesn't it . It shows by the cowardly statement made. Regarding my cousin being a prostitute. I always think of biggie smalls tune . I'm trying to make some money for my baby and they keep calling up on me yes what do are people do in the lobbies of the projects at 3am. Are they part of the tenant patrol?. What are they doing there? disgraceful my friend

@not bonita bondera@jack morpher whine some more, please. Crime has nothing to do with how hot an apartment is. By law, unless it drops below 68 INSIDE, if the temperature outside is cold, then it becomes a legal issue. It's not complicated, dopey.

@Think4Yourself@not bonita bondera@nebulae trust me it is public record see how many calls were made from her apartment or cellphone calling the cops regarding a suspicious person preferably from Red hook or Gowanus projects. People like ourselves